“Gosh,” cried Teddy, as he struggled out to higher ground, pulling his thoroughly frightened companion after him, “I hope there aren’t many more places like that around here. We’ll make it all right, Billie. Say! you’re not crying, are you?” he broke off, with a boy’s utter terror of tears, as Billie dug two mittened and numbed hands into her smarting eyes. “No, I’m not crying,” she answered, giving him a rather watery smile. “I’m laughing. Can’t you see I am?” “Poor little kid,” said Teddy for the second time that afternoon, and the sympathy in his voice pretty nearly did send Billie into a downpour of tears. She was so thoroughly miserable that it was all she could do to keep from wailing her grief aloud. But Teddy had put one big protecting arm around her now and was half carrying her over to that strange object that looked so dark against the gleaming bank of snow. Then he let Billie go, and while she shivered by herself he laid hold of the branches and pulled with all his might. “Ooh, look out!” called Billie. “There might be a bomb or something at the other end. Oh-h!” The queer doorway gave so easily before the boy’s strength that he was sent staggering back against the snowdrift and sat down in it most uncomfortably. The next minute he was up again, had swept the branches and twigs aside, and was examining the exposed opening with all a boy’s eager curiosity. Billie peered eagerly over his shoulder. “What is it?” she asked, breathlessly. “It’s what I thought it was—a cave,” answered Teddy, joyfully. “Come inside, Billie. It will get you out of the wind anyway, and give you a chance to warm up.” He had put an arm about her again and was pushing her forward with his usual impetuosity, but Billie hung back. “We don’t know what’s in there,” she protested, but Teddy refused to listen to her. “We don’t know and we don’t care,” he informed her, masterfully, adding as she still hung back: “We’ll freeze to death out there, anyway.” “But, Ted, suppose some wild animal should be in there? You know that bears hide in hollow trees and caves——” “Bears sleep most of the winter. Besides, I don’t think there are any bears around here.” “But there might be a—a fox, or a wildcat.” “I’ll take a chance on that. You must remember, the average wild beast will get out of your way if you give it half a chance. Come on. As I said before, if you stay out here, in this icy wind, you’ll surely freeze to death.” This argument appealed to her, and, with a shivering look over her shoulder at the desert of whiteness behind, she stepped gingerly into the blackness of the cave. Then with a little nervous giggle she ran back again, got behind Teddy and pushed him before her. “Gentlemen first!” she said. “Anyway you’re bigger than I am, Ted.” So Teddy, feeling as important as a boy always feels when he is protecting a girl that he likes, walked boldly into the cave, stretching a hand behind him for Billie to cling to.